Young Justice Volume I
by theatrchy2004
Summary: An AU take one Young Justice. There will be faces you recognize and know, faces you recognize but aren't who you've known them to be, and brand new faces too!
1. Prologue

It had been a long day. Eighth grade was hard, and Billie was being a jerk today. Greta just wanted some time to herself. The solution? A nice, hot bubble bath. Greta dipped her toe in the water and inhaled the sweet rose aroma emanating from the tub. "Just right," she sighed.

She dropped her towel on the ground and flipped on the radio on the counter. The latest Dixie Chicks hit started to play. "I love this song!" Greta squealed. She quickly slid herself into the tub and began belting the tune out at the top of her lungs. Somewhere in the middle of the third verse, the bathroom door creaked open.

"Billie!" Greta quickly crossed her arms over her chest and pulled her knees up to cover herself. "What are you doing in here?!"

Billie calmly moved to the counter, his slender arm reaching out to the radio. "Paying my last respects, sis."

"Huh?" Before Greta could question her brother further, she felt an immense jolt of pain. "GAAH!"

Billie stood back, watching as his sister sank into the water, the radio resting on her stomach, her innocent, lifeless eyes still fixed on his dark, soulless ones. He grinned. "You're just the first to be in Harm's way."


	2. The Rescue

_Two Years Later... _

Robin peered through the grated vent cover. Infiltrating DEO headquarters had been too easy. Reading lips through the obstructed view from the vent, however, had proven more challenging. Luckily, he had managed to plant audio transmitters on the two... men. Robin couldn't help thinking that the distinction was a little too good for them.

"We are preparing the subject for transport," the first researcher announced. Robin didn't like the look of him. His eyes were too close together. Never a trustworthy sign.

"To?" the second researcher inquired. He was worse than the other guy. He just emanated... darkness.

"The Wabe Facility."

"Interesting."

"It has been determined that the subject is too dangerous."

"Very well."

Robin saw the doors to the lab open, revealing an amorphous girl entrapped in what looked like a giant test tube. He growled at the sight as he prepared to move down the vent.

* * *

Outside, Arrowette was having some difficulties scaling George Washington's nose.

"Rrgh! You'd think I'd be in better shape, now, wouldn't you? But nooo…" she growled to no one in particular. Then… "Hey!" Someone grabbed her and pulled her up into the sky. Arrowette squirmed and took a look at her captor—Superboy.

"Need a lift?" Superboy gave her a lady-killer grin.

"Do you mind?! I was doing fine on my own, I will have you know!"

"Riiight," Superboy rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" another voice called out.

As Superboy landed atop Mt. Rushmore and set Arrowette down, he saw Wonder Girl approaching them, goggles and all. He shook his head. She really needed to lose that look.

"What are you guys doing here?" Wonder Girl looked back and forth from Arrowette to Superboy. A wave of envy coursed through her.

* * *

Robin was deep in Bat-planning mode when he heard a soft growl by his ear. "Robin," it whispered.

It took ever ounce of -training for Robin not to wet his Kevlar. Once his heart attack subsided, he turned and glared at his guest. "What're you trying to do? Kill me?"

"Maybe," Batgirl smirked, never taking her eyes off the scene in the lab before them. "They are planning to dispose of the subject."

"You mean kill her. We have to do something."

As if on cue, Superboy crashed through the lab ceiling. "Alright!" the Boy of Steel bellowed. "I don't know what's going on here, but this party's over!"

Robin slapped his forehead and groaned. Batgirl's scowl deepened. "Him," she growled.

By the time Arrowette and Wonder Girl came down through the hole Superboy had created, he'd taken out both of the white-coat clad researchers. A lab assistant pressed the security alert button just before Batgirl burst through the vent. Robin slid out after her. He used his bo staff to flip over to Superboy. Instinctively, they positioned themselves back-to-back, as they fought the security guards that got past Arrowette and Wonder Girl.

"Real subtle," Robin admonished.

"I had to do something!" Superboy said, his voice cracking.

"Got it!" Batgirl yelled from the control panel by the door. Quickly, the lab doors shut. "Arrowette, buy us some time!" she ordered as she rushed over to the lab computer.

"You got it," Arrowette nodded and shot an arrow into the control pad. It crackled as the arrow hit and sent sparks flying before it died.

"That poor girl!" Wonder Girl rushed over to the girl in the tube. "We have to get her out of here!"

"Stay alert!" Robin ordered. "As soon as Batgirl finds the access code to this... thing, we can free the girl and get the hell out of here!"

"That's taking forever!" Superboy yelled in frustration before smashing his fist through the glass. More alarms and sirens went off as the girl fell out of the encasement… and through Superboy's arms.

"Superboy!" Robin was losing his patience.

"I can't get a hold of her!" Superboy yelled back.

Robin's eyes darted quickly to another part of the lab where the wall appeared to be vibrating. Out of that wall came Impulse, decked out with a tacky stars-and-stripes hat, Mt. Rushmore T-shirt, popcorn and a camera.

"Hey y'all! Mt. Rushmore is so cool! I had my picture taken with Abe Lincoln and everything!" Impulse beamed. He looked around at his peers' incredulous expressions, finally spotting the girl on the floor. "Oh, right." He quickly abandoned his souvenirs and focused on the task at hand.

"Impulse, can you match vibrations with this girl?" Robin asked.

"I think so." Impulse furrowed his brow in concentration. Within seconds he was able to lift her into his arms. "There. Got her. The water boy has a way out for us."

Arrowette and Wonder Girl, overwhelmed by the whole experience, exchanged glances. "Water boy?" they asked each other.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Impulse grinned.

Seconds later, the DEO guards burst through the doors.

"Alright, kiddies, no more horseplay!" the head security guard bellowed. He and his team looked around at the teenage-free lab, now only occupied by unconscious DEO staff. "Kiddies?"

* * *

Arrowette was not a fan of Impulse's escape plan. Sure, it was fine for Wonder Girl and Superboy—they could fly. And Impulse was moving so fast, he was running on the water. Batgirl was agile enough to simply bounce along the cavern walls. From everything she'd heard and seen Robin should have been able to do that, too. So why was he trudging along in the water with her?

"Impulse, are you sure this is such a good idea?" Arrowette finally broke down and whined.

"Yeah, would you hurry up?" Impulse zipped back and forth at an annoying rate.

"Impulse, where are we going?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I think this is our stop," Superboy broke in.

The young heroes stopped in their tracks as they approached a blond boy in what looked to be Atlantean garb. His hair was slicked back with water and his eyes were the color of the ocean after a storm.

Impulse rushed over to the boy. "See!" he grinned with pride. "The Water Boy!"

Not quite sure what to make of Impulse, the youth tried to interject, "Um, actually..."

Superboy crossed his arms as he sized up the blonde. "Looks more like an Aqualad to me."

"I thought Aqualad was all grown up now?" Wonder Girl cocked her head in confusion.

"Listen, we really don't have time for this," Robin growled. Wet Kevlar felt unpleasant on his skin. He approached the blond. "Can you get us out of here? Fast?"

"Sure," the blond nodded and led the group to a hole in the cavern wall. "This will take you to a nearby tributary. They won't think to check there until we're gone."

"I dunno, it looks pretty dark," Arrowette said with concern.

"It's perfectly safe," the boy assured her. "You just slide down…"

"Slide?!" Impulse perked up. "Me first!" In an instant, Impulse was gone with the girl they had rescued, a loud "Wooooooohooooooo!" echoing after him.

"I told you it was safe," the blond smiled.

Robin nodded. "Alright. Arrowette and Wonder Girl: you go next. Superboy, you and, uh, Aqualad can follow them. Batgirl and I will go last."

"I'm still not sure about this, Robin," Arrowette squeaked as she and Wonder Girl got ready to slide down the chute.

"Well, it's now or never babe!" Superboy grinned and pushed the girls down the slide.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!"

A few moments later, it was Superboy and Aqualad's turn.

"Robin," Batgirl warned quietly.

Robin looked up to see two guards racing down the cavern, guns blazing. He shoved Batgirl down the chute before tossing a batarang at the guns. Then he dove after Batgirl. He knew she wouldn't be happy with what he'd done, but he had to protect her.

* * *

Down at the tributary, the girls were drenched and cranky. Arrowette tried to carefully drain water out of her arrow quiver without spilling its contents, while Wonder Girl wrung out her wig. Her goggles hung around her neck and her short, blonde hair was plastered to her neck and face.

Meanwhile, Impulse was still on a high from the slide. "That was keeeewl! Can we do it again? White Water doesn't have a ride nearly as rad as that!"

Wonder Girl awkwardly placed her wig back on her head and walked over to the girl they just rescued. She was awake now, and seemed to be very confused. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I think so," the girl replied. "Where are we?"

Arrowette joined the other two girls. "Just outside DEO headquarters," she replied. "What are you anyway? A ghost?"

"No, I don't think so." The girl furrowed her brow. "Ghosts can't do this," she explained, and for a brief moment, she became as solid as the others.

"Hello ladies," Superboy announced, not noticing how freaked out Wonder Girl and Arrowette were. He plopped an elbow on each of their shoulders. "Who's the new girl?"

"Ugh, Superboy, get off," Arrowette shrugged him away.

Wonder Girl just leaned in closer to him. "I don't know," she answered, ignoring Arrowette. She turned to the mystery girl. "What's your name?"

The girl blushed and looked away. "Um... it's a secret," she barely whispered in a voice almost too low to hear.

"Secret?" Superboy quirked an eyebrow.

Arrowette blinked. "That's an... interesting name."

At that moment, Batgirl flipped out of the chute opening and stuck a perfect landing.

"Impulse! Run ahead. Find a safe haven!" she barked. "Wonder Girl, and you, misty girl, follow Impulse. Take Aqualad and Arrowette with you. Superboy, stay here."

Once the others were gone, Superboy approached Batgirl, who was now crouched like a gargoyle, and watching the chute like a panther waiting to pounce.

"What's the rush?" Superboy casually leaned back on a boulder.

"Trouble."

" No. Really?"

"Don't be a smart ass."

Their banter was interrupted abruptly by a Robin falling out of the chute and into the water.

"Ugh, I'm going to feel that in the morning," he groaned.

Before he could collect himself, Superboy scooped him up and flew off with Batgirl in tow. Within moments, the teen of steel had caught up to Wonder Girl.

"Does Impulse know where he's going?" he asked.

"I don't think so, but we'd better get there fast," Arrowette answered. "Aqualad here is looking greener than seaweed."

Superboy glanced over. The Atlantean did indeed look as though he was going to hurl.

"Uh oh," Wonder Girl interrupted.

They looked up to see the JLA just ahead. And the JLA did not look pleased.


End file.
